OLIVER KIMOKEO | sports editor

18 shots. No goals to show for the Cougars. With less than 20 minutes left to go on the clock, the women’s soccer team felt a strong conviction to not leave the field without putting one through the California Baptist net. Finally, in the 74th minute, sophomore Theresa Broad broke the drought on the Cougar’s 19th shot to tie the score at 1-1.

“We knew we had to have a sense of urgency. We couldn’t be like, ‘oh, the goal’s going to come’ because the game will end and it won’t be there,” Broad said.

After breaking through on the first goal, the Cougars scored three more goals in the subsequent minutes. At the ten-minutes-to-go mark, the Cougars had a 4-1 lead and were ready for the NAIA national tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Broad scored the first Cougar goal. She also scored the second and third goals. The hat trick of goals came within 126 seconds of each other. Broad said she has never scored a hat trick that fast on any level in her soccer career.

In the 2nd minute, the Lancers scored a beautiful long goal from the top left corner of the penalty box to the far post. Lancer freshman forward Jacquelyn Witz set the goal in motion.

For the following 70 minutes, the Lancers put their focus on defense with an objective to shut out the Cougars for the whole game. With the CBU focus on containing the Cougars, there was no room for the Cougars to open their offense— especially in the first half.

This is a typical sequence observed multiple times during the game: the Cougars traveled toward the Lancer goal box and a Cougar would pull off an outstanding shot on goal. Then, the Lancer defense would knock the ball out of the area or Lancer sophomore goalkeeper Emily Evanson would make an incredible save.

Unfortunately for Evanson and the rest of the Lancers, Broad and other Cougars found the jackhammer to knock down the Lancer wall built during the game.

Once Broad scored the first goal, the floodgates opened and the Cougars finally had an offensive force to be reckoned with.

Head coach Jason Surrell described the team mood at halftime.

“We felt like we were a little bit too composed, too relaxed. We felt like we needed to force the issue a little bit in the second half. With the group, there is no panic and no worry,” Surrell said.

At the end of the game, the Cougars added the title of Region II champions to the GSAC crown they earned a couple weeks before.

The 2007 Region II championship is the fourth consecutive regional championship for the Cougars. Now, the Cougars have their eyes set on their first NAIA championship since 1998.

Four more games to go.

For the next week, the Cougars have their three regional games to use as preparation for their national games.

On Wed, Oct. 31, the Cougars defeated Westmont, 5-1. Two days later, APU defeated California State-San Marcos, 2-1 in overtime.

Physical play dominated the San Marcos contest.

“Their coach told me that he loved how our girls play aggressive but do it fair,” Jason Surrell said.

Near the end of the first half, senior midfielder Randie Massro suffered through an intense collision which left a bloody cut above her eye.

After sitting out in the second half, Massro returned in overtime to inspire her team for a victory.

“If Randie wants to go in, she’ll go in,” Surrell said.

Massro provided the Cougars with a strong midfield.

“I feel really safe when Randie is out on the field. I trust her a lot. I respect her as a player,” junior forward Sarah Yoro said.

Yoro provided the assist on the winning goal. Her pass enabled sophomore defender Katie Rorabaugh to give the Cougars a trip to the regionals final.

“Sarah dribbled across and I saw her defender go with her. I just cut across in front, and she flicked it back to me. I was wide open, and as I got the ball, I took a touch forward. It was just me and the keeper, and I saw the right corner wide open,” Rorabaugh said.